07/23/2026
https://burntsugarcomedy.com/shows/1992529151329
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“Take each day at a time, stay creative, and stay scrappy.”
That’s the advice Sarah says she’d give herself before opening
In January 2015, she left her job at an ad agency. She and her partner, Josh, stood at a crossroads: move somewhere like New York or invest in building something in their hometown.
They chose St. Pete.
Just two months later, Bandit Coffee Co. opened.
“Part of the reason we started this is that we wanted to lead in our own way,” Sarah told me. “At the time, St. Pete didn’t have craft coffee shops.”
Long before today’s boom, they believed the city was growing and needed more places where people could gather.
After five years of building a loyal community, January 2020 finally felt like they had made it. They expanded into food service and looked toward the future.
Then the world shut down.
“We had to completely pivot, and we knew we were just going to figure it out.”
For nearly two years, Bandit operated through takeout and adapted day by day. Ten years later, they’ve become a cornerstone of downtown St. Pete, with lines stretching out the door on most mornings.
When I asked Sarah what she’d tell other business owners, her answer wasn’t about profit or growth.
Make time for your family. Your friends. Your hobbies.
“There will always be more work,” she said. “Sometimes I’ll sneak out and catch a matinee by myself.”
That perspective has carried Bandit through a decade of growth, including the launch of Smallbar and their newest venture, Spitz.
This Saturday, Sarah joins us at Burnt Sugar Comedy for Local Legends. We’ll hear the story behind Bandit, then turn that story into the comedy you’ll see unfold on stage.
Van Art:
Collab w/ Van:
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